Lighting Brighton Red For World AIDS Day

A number of community events, including a concert, a community lunch and an annual candlelight vigil, are taking place on Sunday 1 December to mark World AIDS Day.

Held globally each year, World AIDS Day supports people living with HIV and commemorates those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.

To show support and solidarity with residents and communities affected by AIDS and HIV, the city’s landmarks will be lighting up red and the Brighton & Hove City Council will be flying the Red Ribbon flag from Brighton & Hove town halls.

The red ribbon is an important symbol of awareness and shows commitment to the fight against HIV. 

Councillor Leslie Pumm, Cabinet Member for Communities, Equality and Human Rights, said:

“World AIDS Day is an opportunity for everyone to come together and remember all those who lost their lives to an AIDS-related illness and to show love and support for communities torn apart by this awful disease.

“It is also a day of celebration of the amazing medical advances, which allow people living with HIV today to do so without fear of ever developing AIDS or passing it on.

“However, we must remember that HIV hasn’t gone away, and we all have a role to play in getting tested regularly. 

“We are a UK Fast Track City, a global initiative to end HIV as a public health threat, and we have made great progress towards our goals as new HIV diagnoses continue to fall.

“I’d like to thank all our partners, the NHS and organisations including Lunch Positive, the Martin Fisher Foundation and the Sussex Beacon who made this possible, and everyone who’s been working on the wonderful events taking place in the city.

“We are proud that our city is at the cutting edge of testing and treatment and urge people to get tested now to keep themselves and loved ones safe.”

World AIDS Day events in the city

Brighton Aids Memorial Candlelight Vigil

• 6pm, Sunday 1 December
• New Steine Gardens, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 1PA 

Everyone’s welcome to attend the annual remembrance event of those we have lost to HIV/AIDS in Brighton & Hove.

The event will include a welcome by The Mayor, Councillor Mohammed Asaduzzaman, followed by a Reading of Names.

Volunteers will distribute candles and candle holders, for anyone wishing to light a candle in memory of a loved one who has died with HIV.

There will be a BSL signer providing translation of speeches and the Reading of Names.

The annual Brighton AIDS Memorial Vigil is hosted by the Brighton & Hove World AIDS Day Community Partnership. 

World AIDS Day Community Lunch

• 1pm, Sunday 1 December
• St Mary’s Church, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 1PR

 A well-established part of the World Aids Day diary, the community lunch is open to everyone.

The lunch is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together as a community, and last year was attended by over 100 people.

The event is put together by a team of volunteers, with a warm welcome to everyone and an enjoyable buffet lunch.

World Aids Day Concert 

• 7.30pm, Sunday 1 December
• St Mary’s Church, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 1PR

 Performances from local LGBTQ+ choirs and musical groups, all coming together to raise awareness and remember.

The concert raises funds to benefit Lunch Positive. For more information, visit the Brighton & Hove World Aids Day Concert website.

‘Love is life that lasts forever’/Exhibition

• November 25 to December 9
• Jubilee Library's main windows

Join the Brighton AIDS Memorial Project's powerful exhibition commemorating lives lost to HIV/AIDS. The exhibition features:

• Historic photos from the 1993 Brighton Remembers exhibition
• Handmade memorial fabric panels
• The Brighton Hankie Quilt documenting local lives lost
• A newly created memorial quilt panel

AIDS Memorial Quilts are acts of protest and remembrance, highlighting the stigma and healthcare inequalities faced by marginalized communities during the AIDS crisis and are a profound tribute to those lost and a powerful reminder of community resilience.

The exhibition is free, open to all and supported by the council’s LGBTQ+ Workers Forum.